Social Studies Teacher License Test Content: 4 Domains, 13 Standards and Weights
Content of the Social Studies teacher license test: the four domains and weights (geography 42.7%, history 36%), all 13 standards with each weight, ETEC's question style, and how it differs from the History and Geography tests.
- Questions and time
- 75 questions · 120 minutes
- Pass mark
- 50%
- Exam fee
- SAR 100 for the subject test
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
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Teacher License – Social Studies
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
Try 10 free questions and see your levelLast verified: 31 October 2026. Our sources are the candidate guide for the Teachers' Professional License test in Social Studies and the Social Studies teacher standards, both published by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) (1441 AH / 2020 edition; the latest edition, and the guide is a trial edition). This guide is independent: it is not affiliated with ETEC, Qiyas (the National Center for Assessment), the Ministry of Education or any government body.
In short: the Social Studies test covers 13 standards in four domains: geography 42.7%, history 36%, citizenship education 12% and teaching methods and the curriculum 9.3%. Geography and history together are about 79% of the score. ETEC publishes the weight of every standard (from 4% to 10.7%). It is a single test with no levels, and it is not the History test or the Geography test.
Social studies, history and geography: three different tests
ETEC publishes a separate guide and set of standards for Social Studies, for History and for Geography, and each is a test of its own. The Social Studies standards are written for the primary-school social studies teacher and combine history, geography, citizenship education and teaching methods in one paper. The History and Geography tests have wider standards in their own subject.
Which test you sit depends on your qualification and the stage you teach. According to the "Guide to Specializations for Educational Jobs" (Ministry of Education):
- Primary stage: a graduate of social studies teacher preparation sits the Social Studies test. A holder of a bachelor's degree in history or geography sits the test for that degree subject.
- Intermediate and secondary stages: the History license or the Geography license.
Check the current guide with the Ministry of Education and your employer before you register, because the subject name you register under decides which guide and standards you are tested on. If you want to see the other test, read what the Geography test covers and its weights.
Test format
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | 75 questions |
| Question type | Four-option multiple choice; each question measures one indicator of one standard |
| Duration | 120 minutes (two hours) |
| Language | Arabic |
| Calculator | Not allowed |
| Scoring | Criterion-referenced; wrong answers carry no penalty |
| Level scores | 50 for Practitioner Teacher, 70 for Advanced Teacher, 80 and above for Expert Teacher (Professional License Regulations, Article 4) |
The four domains and their weights
The weights come from the chart and table on pages 6 and 7 of the candidate guide, and the question counts out of 75 are calculated from them.
| Domain | Weight | Standards | Questions out of 75 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | 42.7% | 5 | 32 |
| History | 36% | 4 | 27 |
| Citizenship Education | 12% | 2 | 9 |
| Teaching Methods and the Curriculum | 9.3% | 2 | 7 |
| Total | 100% | 13 | 75 |
Each question measures one indicator, and the test does not have to cover every indicator.
The 13 standards one by one
The standard names are as in the standards document (numbered 6.38.1 to 6.38.13), the weight of each standard is from the table on page 7 of the guide, and the "What it measures" column is our summary of the standard's indicators. After each table we describe the angle of the official sample question for that standard, where the guide has one, without copying its wording.
History (36%)
| Standard | Name | Weight | Questions out of 75 | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.38.1 | Impact of key figures and events on the course of history | 9.3% | 7 | Analysing the causes and results of events, the role of the Prophet’s campaigns in building the Islamic state, the Rightly Guided Caliphs in protecting it, the impact of Imam Muhammad bin Saud, Imam Turki bin Abdullah and Imam Faisal bin Turki, and King Abdulaziz’s efforts to found the Kingdom |
| 6.38.2 | Role of historical events in shaping societies across times and places | 10.7% | 8 | Political events and religious and social change in Arabia after the rise of Islam, factors in the development of Arab-Islamic society after the conquests, comparing life before and after the founding, and customs that changed (festivals, weddings, dress, food, entertainment) |
| 6.38.3 | Understanding historical change across eras | 9.3% | 7 | The impact of prophets, reformers, heroes and civilisational discoveries, telling the Dawn of Islam, early Islam, the Rightly Guided Caliphs and pre-Islamic periods apart, examples of change between eras, and the work of Kings Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd and Abdullah in taking the Kingdom into the modern age |
| 6.38.4 | Cooperation and conflict between groups and nations through history | 6.7% | 5 | The Prophet’s relationship with his Companions, the strife of the late Rashidun period and the halt of conquests, the contribution of peoples who embraced Islam to its civilisation, causes and results of conflict between nations, and King Salman’s promotion of international cooperation through humanitarian and relief work |
The angle of the official history questions: which imam made Riyadh the capital of the second Saudi state (6.38.1), and the year the oil exploration concession was granted in the Kingdom (6.38.2). Both ask for a name or a date, and their options are of the same kind, so what is tested is telling apart the imams and nearby years.
Geography (42.7%)
| Standard | Name | Weight | Questions out of 75 | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.38.5 | Human–environment relations and skills of locating places and directions | 9.3% | 7 | Telling the physical and human features of a place apart, explaining geographic relations between environments, how people affect and are affected by their local environment, cardinal and intermediate directions and relative location, and using geographic skills to locate places and directions |
| 6.38.6 | The universe, the solar system and Earth’s astronomical features | 9.3% | 7 | The grandeur of creation in the universe, the relation of the Sun to the planets, astronomical phenomena on Earth, the features of lines of longitude and latitude, and the relation between weather and climate and their elements |
| 6.38.7 | Population characteristics, settlement patterns and economic activity | 10.7% | 8 | The elements and factors of population growth, the geographic distribution of population, types of settlement and the factors that form them, economic activities in the local and other environments and what affects them, and urban problems with their causes and solutions |
| 6.38.8 | Using maps and modern geographic technologies | 4% | 3 | Map elements and types, map-reading skills, the components and applications of remote sensing, main applications of geographic information systems, and the difference between aerial photographs and satellite images and their relation to maps |
| 6.38.9 | Physical and human geography of Saudi Arabia | 9.3% | 7 | The Kingdom’s astronomical and geographic location and strategic importance, its surface forms, climate and its factors, population growth and distribution, and economic resources and their role in development |
The angle of the official geography questions: classifying a plant as annual or perennial (6.38.5), and what results from Earth's motion around the Sun (6.38.6). The guide's practice questions include short calculations, among them population density and map scale (6.38.7 and 6.38.8), and there is no calculator in the test.
Citizenship Education (12%)
| Standard | Name | Weight | Questions out of 75 | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.38.10 | Government, its system and powers, and Saudi regulations | 5.35% | 4 | The concept of government and the system of rule in the Kingdom with its institutions and functions, types of regulations and their benefits, government services for citizens and their link to the Quality of Life goal, and the main functions of state institutions |
| 6.38.11 | National responsibility, national security and national values | 6.7% | 5 | Citizenship, national values and the symbols of national identity, digital citizenship with its responsibilities and rules of use, national security with its concept, importance and bodies, national responsibility and its types, and the national character with citizens’ rights and duties |
The angle of the official citizenship questions: which body licenses charities, and what kind of cities a particular government authority is responsible for (6.38.10), and which of the options is a symbol of national identity when some of the others are social features (6.38.11). The questions are short and ask for the responsible body or the classification of a concept. The citizenship domain (about 9 of the 75 questions) is neglected by many candidates, who then lose easy questions.
Teaching Methods and the Curriculum (9.3%)
| Standard | Name | Weight | Questions out of 75 | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.38.12 | Applying social studies teaching methods | 5.35% | 4 | Linking teaching methods to the aims of teaching social studies, choosing the method that suits the subject, choosing it by learner characteristics, and carrying out activities that fit the method |
| 6.38.13 | Discovery and practical methods and effective teaching in social studies | 4% | 3 | Discovery-method skills in social studies, applying practical discovery methods, using augmented and virtual reality, learner-centred teaching, and self-directed and cooperative learning |
The angle of the official teaching questions: which skill belongs to presenting geographic information (6.38.12), and which practical discovery method lets learners gain purposeful knowledge in a social setting inside the class (6.38.13). Most often you must name the method that fits an activity or goal.
The two heaviest standards weigh 10.7% each, eight questions out of 75: the role of events in shaping societies (6.38.2) and population, settlement and economic activity (6.38.7). The two lightest weigh 4% each, three questions: maps (6.38.8) and discovery methods (6.38.13).
The question style in ETEC's guide
The guide gives eight sample questions with a justification for each answer, then 25 practice questions with an answer key. From them we can see the pattern of the test:
- Name or date questions: in history the options are of the same kind, four imams or four nearby years, so general guessing does not help.
- Classification: is a plant annual or perennial, is this a symbol of national identity or a social feature. The guide's justification explains why each other option is wrong.
- Cause and result: what results from Earth's motion around the Sun, where the other options are results of other motions (around its axis, or the Earth-Moon relation).
- The responsible body: which ministry or authority handles a given task, so knowing the current names of ministries helps.
- Paper calculation: the guide's practice questions include population density and map scale, without a calculator.
- Teaching: a described activity or goal, and you name the fitting method or skill.
The eight samples touch all four domains, two for each. ETEC itself notes that the guide's examples do not cover every aspect of the test and do not reflect the difficulty of the actual questions.
How to use this table when you study
- Start with the free questions (10 questions) to see which domains are weakest for you.
- Geography and history together are 59 of the 75 questions, so give them no less than half of your total time. The study plan is built on these weights.
- Set aside time for citizenship education despite its small weight: nine questions, and most review material in circulation does not cover it.
- Practise population density, map scale and time differences between lines of longitude on paper, without a calculator.
- Learn the names of ministries and authorities as they are called now, since a question about the responsible body may put the old name among the options.
Your score on our questions is an estimate of your readiness, not an official result. Each unit in practice by unit is one of these four domains, so if the free questions show weakness in citizenship or history, say, practise that domain alone.
Finished reading? Try a set of questions
Start with 10 free questions to find your weakest units. Keep practising with the full question bank and mock exams from SAR 26.
Sources and references
- ETEC – Professional License Test for Educational Professions (dates, scoring, FAQ and e-services) etec.gov.sa
- ETEC – Candidate guide for Social Studies teachers (2020 trial edition): domains, weights and sample questions media.etec.gov.sa
- ETEC – Subject standards for Social Studies teachers (1441 AH / 2020) media.etec.gov.sa